Sure, Phillip Phillips, the likeable Georgian with massive talent and aw-shucks modesty, handily won the 11th season on Wednesday night. But the interesting news lies with contestants of Idols past.

Adam Lambert, the eighth season runner-up, debuted on the top spot of the Billboard charts this week with Tresspassing. He is the seventh former Idol contestant who can claim a number one record. Lambert's second album dethroned another Idol alum, Carrie Underwood (season four winner), selling 77,000 copies.

Lambert also beat the seemingly unstoppable juggernaut that is Adele's 21 for the week by 14,000 units.

With this feat, the singer becomes the first openly gay musician ever to top the Billboard 200. (Although former Idol contender Clay Aiken topped the charts before he was publicly out.)

Adam Lambert

Aside from Lambert and Underwood, there are three other Idol acts represented in the Billboard 200 this week. Kelly Clarkson's Stronger is at the 52 spot, Scotty McCreery occupies the 97th slot with Clear as Day and hanging in at 171 is Daughtry's Break the Spell.

Still, Lambert's coup is somewhat diminished by the fact that his album reached the top spot with the least sales of any number one for the past year.

So what can Phillips take from this?

"Not every season can churn out the stars. Does anyone remember Lee DeWyze?" asked Billboard's Keith Caulfield.

"Phillip Phillips is interesting becaue you can peg him as a David Cook, Kris Allen, Lee DeWyze winner: a guy with a guitar singing guy-with-a-guitar songs. That can work. And sometimes it doesn't."

Despite a perception of flagging ratings and a diminished cultural relevance, Idol still averaged 18 million viewers for the season, according to Adweek's Anthony Crupi. The closest competitor, NBC's The Voice, a sexier show in its second season, averaged 14.1 million.

"Idol is basically still the top-rated thing that doesn't have football in it," said Crupi.

And, as such, appearing on the show remains a good career move, regardless of whether you win. But it does help if you got on the show early: of the top 10 selling Idol alums, nine were from the first five seasons.

While it remains to be seen whether Phillips' career will reach the heights of Underwood, Clarkson, Daughtry or even Lambert, he was the clear favorite in a season that still attracted millions of (increasingly aging) viewers. In its first season the average Idol viewer was 31. In its eleventh? 50.

But season 11 runner up Jessica Sanchez can take a little heart: not winning the show is hardly a predictor of failure. Ruben Studdard, the second season winner, has sold far fewer records than Clay Aiken, that season's most successful runner-up.

"Some acts just aren't necessarily meant to sell millions and millions of albums," said Billboard's Caulfield. "Sanchez has such an amazing voice. But does that translate into a singer people want more from?"

Jennifer Hudson, who finished in seventh place in season three, is one of the biggest stars to emerge from Idol, having won an Academy Award for her stirring performance in Dreamgirls. Still, in terms of album sales, she is in tenth place among former Idol contestants.

"Right now [Phillips and Sanchez] are TV stars," said Caulfield. "So we will see if they can make the transition from regular, weekly fixture on the television to something you want to buy on iTunes."